3 Activities for Teaching Life Science in First Grade

Teaching life science in first grade can be an exciting and rewarding experience. With the help of these three read alouds and their companion resources, you can make learning about life science even more engaging and hands-on.

These 3 STEM activities provide a fun and interactive way for first grade students to explore life science concepts.

We’ll explore:

1. Parents and Offspring

2. Heredity and Traits

3. Biomimicry

In this blog post, we will take a closer look at each of these activities and how they can be used to teach life science in first grade. We’ve found that students love activities that involve observation, exploration, and investigation and develop their scientific skills and knowledge.

Parents and Offspring Life Science Activity

Learn about relationships between parents and offspring with this First Grade STEM Challenge that connects to the read aloud Stellaluna by Janell Cannon.

In this STEM Lesson, students research animals and learn about how parents help their offspring survive. Then, they create a model to show what they've learned!

Stellaluna Read Aloud STEM Challenge by Carly and Adam.

This life science Read Aloud STEM activity focuses on the relationship between parents and their offspring. Students learn about different animals and how they care for their young.

They then create a model of a parent and offspring animal duo using craft materials. This activity is perfect for students who are learning about animal behavior and characteristics.

Material List:

• crayons

• clay or playdough

• informational books about animals

• Stellaluna by Janell Cannon

1-LS1-2

Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.

Learning Objective
I can learn about how parents help their offspring survive by watching or reading different materials.

Heredity and Traits Life Science Activity

Learn about animal inheritance and variation of traits between parents and offspring with this first grade STEM Challenge that connects to the read aloud Where's My Mom? by Julia Donaldson.

Where’s My Mom Read Aloud STEM Challenge by Carly and Adam

In this first grade STEM Challenge, students investigate animal parents and their offspring. They use a Venn diagram to explain the way animal parents and their offspring can be the same or different. Students also play a game, watch a video, and draw some pictures.

This first grade STEM activity aligns with NGSS Life Science Standards for first grade but can be used in 2nd and 3rd grades too.

Material List:

• crayons

• paper

• pencils and STEM journals

• Where’s My Mom? by Julia Donaldson

1-LS3-1 Heredity: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.

Learning Objective
I can make observations about how young plants and animals are similar to their parents.

Biomimicry Life Science Activity

Learn about biomimicry with this first grade STEM Challenge that connects to the read aloud Mimic Makers by Kristen Nordstrom.

Mimic Makers Read Aloud STEM Challenge by Carly and Adam.

Scientists explore the world around them. Sometimes they get their ideas from things they see every day, like plants and animals. In this first grade STEM Challenge, students design an invention using biomimicry. Their invention is inspired by the designs in nature.

Material List:

• paper

• crayons or markers

• scissors

• tape

• recyclable materials (cardboard, plastic containers, fabric scraps, etc.)

• Mimic Makers: Biomimicry Inventors Inspired by Nature by Kristen Nordstrom

1-LS1-1

Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.

Learning Objective
I can design a solution inspired by plants and animals.

We hope you enjoy these life science activities with your students! Together we can provide them with a foundation for understanding the natural world and the living things that inhabit it.

Have more questions or need additional resources?

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